Remains

I recently met a woman who endured terrible abuse as a young girl.

She spent years rebuilding her mind, body, and soul and worked hard to survive and find purpose in the pain.

When she told me of her plans for the future, a light shone in her eyes that gave me chills.

She is working now to serve others who have been victims of abuse to offer the support and love she received in her healing.

In her young eyes, I saw a woman wise beyond her years.

She took the remains of her pain and trauma and repurposed them to become a mighty warrior, ready to battle and fight.

She is bound and determined to defend the wounded, lost, and forgotten.

The remains of her pain transformed into a mighty purpose.

We, too, have been on a journey from the ashes of our pain and trauma.

We have been walking together for a while now and have worked hard to dispel the lies and remove the junk that held us back for far too long.

But we cannot erase the past - we can only repurpose the ashes and remains left behind and use them for good.

What we do with the remains of our pain is up to us.

Can we allow God to heal us and follow Him into a life beyond the shadows of shame and despair?

Can we remain in God's love and allow His light to overtake us so that only love remains in our hearts?

Can we be like that woman who was bound and determined not to let the enemy win and fight for those who need help?

I spent many, many years staring at that pile of ashes and wallowing in pity and sorrow.

It took me years to gather the courage to do the work necessary to let God heal me and be brave enough to follow Him.

I'm still a work in progress, that's for sure.

But meeting that woman and seeing that light and fire within her has me more fired up than ever to work with God and turn the remains of my pain into something lovely, worthy, beautiful, and powerful.

Watch out, world. Here we come.

Isaiah 61: 1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair, they will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

John 15:9-10-17

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

This is my command: Love each other.